updated 10:30 am EST, Mon January 5, 2009

Ultimate Ears MetroFi

Ultimate Ears, owned by Logitech, announced on Monday the upcoming release of its MetroFi line (not pictured) of noise-isolating earphones. The MetroFi 170 and MetroFi 220 are compatible with iPods, iPhones and more generic music phones and MP3 players thanks to their 3.5mm stereo jack and are designed to offer 16dB of noise isolation. The earbuds ship with three pairs of silicone ear cushions that conform to the shape of a wearer's ear to isolate them from ambient noise.

The speaker in each earbud is coated in titanium for more accurate sound reproduction, though no other specifications were given, including the difference between the two models. To help users quickly distinguish between the right and left earbud, the right earphone is colored in red. Ultimate Ears includes a compact carrying case for each headset.

A version of each headphone, called the MetroFi 170vi and MetroFi 220vi, adds an integrated microphone for hands-free calling on iPhone and BlackBerry smartphones.

The range of MetroFi headphones will launch in February, with the MetroFi 170 set priced at $50, the MetroFi 220s at $80, while the MetroFi 170vi and the MetroFi 220vi earphones will cost $60 and $90, respectively.